A little more than a year and a half ago 13 men and women moved to Clemson, South Carolina, sent out and supported financially by the Athens Church of Christ, the Columbia Church of Christ and the Charleston Church (we had also received some financial support from the Savannah Church of Christ) to start a new church and a new campus ministry. What an adventure it has been!
I have been a disciple now for almost 17 years. I was converted at
the University of Georgia and remember my time there as a campus student
as some of the best years of my life. I started as a campus intern in
June of 1996 and then went full time in the ministry with my wife,
Stacey, in January of 1997 and served as campus minister for UGA, GA.
State, GA Tech, The University of Tennessee Chattanooga, Savannah State
and Armstrong University...We have helped start ministries in
Chattanooga & Savannah and have even led the Arts &
Entertainment ministry in Atlanta. Just before moving back to Athens to
Train and build our Mission Team to Clemson I led the Church in
Birmingham, Alabama.
Stacey and I know how to arrange furniture and decorate a house in just under 17 minutes and 38 seconds, something you learn to do when you have lived in 13 different homes/apartments in 14 years of Marriage. Ha! I feel very honored to have been able to serve in each and every ministry that I have mentioned...each ministry has provided something different for me and Stacey...memories, lessons, growth, encouragement, disappointments...we have come across some of the most amazing men and women and have had the privilege of building friendships with brothers and sisters we would not have otherwise been connected with.
I received a friend request yesterday from a brother, Tony Dupree, who I studied the bible with and baptized over 10 years ago...my heart leaped when I saw that he was still faithful after all these years. There were photos of him in a singles ministry where they were celebrating his 10th spiritual birthday and other photos of his recent wedding to a beautiful young sister. How could that not bring joy and gratitude to anyone's heart?
I know I'm writing this because I'm emotional right now...but that's
ok...these emotions are very real and very warranted! I see God. I see
Him and have seen him working in miraculous ways for almost 17
years...sometimes I think to myself, "Are you kidding me?", because I
just can't believe what He has been doing. I know that each brother and
each sisters experience is very different...I know that we have our
Peaks and Valleys, but I'm sitting here writing this in a state of Awe.
My wife. My Children. My Family. My Friendships. My Job. My Purpose. I'm
in Awe because it's really surreal to me.
Reading
old journals has probably triggered some of this...cleaning out our
garage the other day I came across a box...a very BIG box of my old
quiet time journals and prayer journals. I neglected my duty to organize
my garage for a bit because how can you find your old journals and not
read through some of them...just for a minute? Talk about taking a trip
down memory lane...If you're not a journal-er, you might think about
becoming one...what a Biography of your life. Reading through them will
provoke some thoughts and emotions in some pretty interesting ways. (I
actually started a journal 6 months before I was invited out to
church...talk about getting a glimpse into your life before
Jesus...Wow!) Reading through them reminded me of the amazing journey
that I'm on...a journey that I sometimes forget about and don't think
much of because I'm so busy. A Journey that God has allowed me to be on.
Most of this journey has been awesome...some of it has been extremely
difficult, but I wouldn't change any of it! This journey has taken me
and my family to Clemson...of all places...Clemson, South
Carolina...Really? Clemson? Clemson's not high profile. It's certainly
not a metropolis in any way, shape or form. Clemson has a population of
38,000 +/- from August to May and when all the students go home for the
Summer...about 18,000 +/-. No joke.
It does have a Starbucks though. Whew!
I have got to say, that although I am honored and grateful to have been
able to serve in the places and ministries that I have been able to
serve in, right now, I could not be more honored and grateful to be
right here in Clemson, serving with the men and women I am serving
beside. It's still a bit unclear to me what we're doing...I have days
where I am so confident in what is going on here in Clemson and there
are other days where I am like, "God, what on EARTH am I doing? I don't
know how to do this!" And then I'm reminded of 1 Corinthians 3:7 that
says, "So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only
God, who makes things grow." Oh, good. I feel better.
The
truth is, none of us know, entirely, what we're doing...but I'm not
sure we're really supposed to. This morning at 2am we Stirred the Waters
in Lake Hartwell yet again. (What is it with these College Students?
don't they know I'm 38 and need my beauty sleep?) Jordan Hall moved here
from the Teen Ministry in Charlotte, NC. God paired him with a young
man from just outside Columbia, SC to be his roommate at the Clemson
House dorm. This young man, Patrick Anderson, came to Clemson to study
Philosophy with the dream and vision of going into the Full Time
Ministry one day. In their first phone conversation over the summer when
they found out they would be roommates, Patrick told Jordan, "I just
want you to know up front, I Love God and want to serve Him." This is
without knowing what Jordan was all about. A little alarmed because
Patrick was religious, Jordan was unsure of the dynamic of this
pairing...however, from day one, Jordan prayed for Patrick and that
Patrick would be open to the Word.
Guess what? Patrick was VERY open. As we began to study with Patrick, he devoured it like I've seen my daughters devour a hot fudge sunday from the DQ...it's a truly amazing thing to see I assure you. We have studied regularly each week and Patrick made a commitment to come to every meeting of the body...with just a couple of bible studies left to do, this past Tuesday we did the 'make or break' Light and Dark study with Patrick. BAPTISM. I felt like Aquila, sitting there with Apollos...I guess Jordan would be Priscilla, but that would be weird...He clearly saw it but had to wrestle with it. Last night, Patrick attended an FCA Service...that's right, FCA...we don't govern what these kids attend and don't attend...they need to build these convictions on their own...in this case, however, Patrick attending this Thursday night FCA worship meeting catapulted him into the light. At the end of the service they were singing a song about "Thanking God for Saving Me" and what Patrick explained to us is that he couldn't sing along...He couldn't sing what he believed wasn't true.
This alarmed him and so, at 11:43 pm I get a phone call from Patrick
saying, "I want to get Baptized tonight!" So, at 12am, I walk into the
dorms...sit down with Patrick, along with Jordan Hall, Kyle Fridley,
David Boerma (baptized last February) and David's Roommate Victor, who
is also studying the Bible and we counted the cost of becoming disciple
with Patrick. At 1am we sent out a mass text. at 1:15am we met at the
Dike on a small parcel of beach...we shared, we sang, we prayed and at
2am Jordan Baptized his roommate and best friend! Oh, also, I wanted to
mention that while Patrick was sharing, he expressed to Jordan how
excited he was that the two of them would be partners is spreading the
Gospel to the men and women in their dorm and especially the guys on
their Hall...and currently we are also studying with Andrew, their next
door neighbor who Patrick brought to church 3 weeks ago.
And real quick...we have a small children's ministry of 9 kiddos ranging
from 6 months to 11 years...What they are witnessing by being apart of
this will transform their lives forever! Ok, enough on that...emotional
overload...
So, you see, I'm grateful. I'm overwhelmed by what God has been doing
not only in my life these past 17 years but what he has been doing here
in Clemson and in the lives of so many others. That little 13 member
band of brothers and sisters who sat in my living room back in January
of 2009 has faithfully served God and this community and it's so
exciting to see that we are now a congregation of 41 brothers and
sisters and a campus ministry of 27. We plant and water, God makes it
grow.
Thank you Athens, Columbia, Charleston and everyone else who has
supported this ministry and who has prayed for the work here. You are
all apart of those who have contributed to the planting and watering of
the Clemson Foothills Church...We would not be seeing what we're seeing
without you. We love you so much!
Stayed tuned...you might be hearing more about Andrew and Victor real soon. Keep praying for these men!
Thanks for taking the time to sit through this very long email of thoughts and good news.
Much love and appreciation,
Jarrod